Sharia in Denmark

Documentary filmmakers in Denmark conducted an undercover investigation, with hidden cameras, into claims that imams are working towards keeping parallel societies for Muslims within Denmark.

Abu Bilal, imam of the Grimhøj mosque, told Fatma that her husband is entitled to take another wife. Fatma is not allowed to deny her husband his "sexual rights," even when he is violent.

The imam of the Hamad Bin Khalifa mosque gave Fatma the same answers she had received in all the other mosques: She must not take a job without her husband's permission, and even if her husband continues to beat her, she must not contact the police.

Umm Abdullah told Fatma that she should only meet with Danish people in order to tell them about Islam. This is necessary, she said, to save the Danes from hell, and the only reason Muslims should interact with Danes.

The issue of parallel Muslim societies has sparked renewed debate in Denmark after a three-part television documentary, "The Mosques Behind the Veil" was aired at the beginning of March on Danish TV2.

The documentary consists of an undercover investigation into claims that Muslim imams are working towards keeping parallel societies for Muslims within Denmark.

The filmmakers had two young Muslims -- brought from outside Denmark -- go undercover in Gellerupparken, an area best described as a predominantly Muslim ghetto in Aarhus, Denmark's second city. For three months, the two lived as a fictitious couple, Fatma and Muhammed, while visiting eight different mosques in Aarhus, Odense and Copenhagen -- the three largest cities in Denmark -- with hidden cameras. The goal was to hear what imams say behind closed doors about Danish law and authorities, gender equality and general contact with Danish society, such as Muslim women participating in the Danish job market. There are approximately 140 mosques in all of Denmark.

The film is similar in concept to the British BBC Panorama documentary, "Secrets of Britain's Sharia Councils," which aired in April 2013. The BBC went undercover to document the discrimination practiced in British sharia councils against Muslim women. (The existence of British sharia councils were no secret to the British; the Danish film, it turned out, documented a Danish sharia council for the first time).

For the purpose of the documentary, Fatma was given a personal cover story -- based on real-life dilemmas -- for which she would seek advice from the different imams: Her husband is violent, and she does not wish to have sex with him. She cannot get pregnant and his family has found a second wife for him. She consulted with a Danish girlfriend about the violence, which has left her bruised, and the girlfriend told her to go to the police.

What do the imams think she should do?

The series begins in the Grimhøj mosque. The mosque has been in the Danish headlines for years, especially since police statistics in 2013 showed that 22 out of the 27 Muslims from Aarhus who left to fight with Islamic State in Syria had frequented it. The head of the mosque, Oussama El Saadi, has, in fact, said that he hopes the Islamic State will win and that there will be an Islamic world government. The imam of the same mosque, Abu Bilal, was sentenced last year in Germany for inciting hatred against both Jews and non-Jews, and fined €10,000.

Abu Bilal, imam of the Grimhøj mosque in Denmark, was fined €10,000 last year in Germany, after being found guilty of inciting hatred against both Jews and non-Jews. (Image source: MEMRI video screenshot)

Fatma, during her visits to the mosque, learned from imam Abu Bilal that married women who commit infidelity should be stoned to death, and that Muslims who leave Islam may be killed. He makes no reservations about these teachings. She also learned that young children who refuse to pray should be beaten (a woman asks the imam specifically, how she should conduct those beatings). Fatma was also informed that a woman may not take a job without her husband's permission.

Abu Bilal further says that her husband is entitled to take another wife. Fatma is not allowed to deny her husband his "sexual rights," even when he is violent. When she asks the imam if she should involve the police, the answer is an emphatic "no."

Officially, the spokesman of the Grimhøj mosque, along with spokesmen from three of the eight mosques, professes that the mosque respects Danish law. But behind closed doors -- on hidden camera -- he advocates polygamy and beating children. He also instructs Fatma to go back to her abusive spouse and to let him commit what amounts to rape.

Fatma attended three other mosques in Aarhus, one of which publicly claims to be "moderate." All of the clerics gave her the same answers. Some told her that violence is not allowed, but made it clear that there is nothing she can do. The imam at the Fredens mosque added that she might be able to obtain a divorce, if necessary, from their sharia council.

Muhammed, reporting what he experienced in the mosques, told TV2 news that he had been warned in the mosques against the Danes; informed that they were kuffar (unbelievers), and that he should avoid them and their social functions, such as birthday parties. One imam told the couple that they should "not melt into Danish society," but simply surround themselves with other Muslims.

In Copenhagen, Fatma consulted the leader of the female section of the Islamisk Trossamfund mosque, Umm Abdullah. The claim at Islamisk Trossamfund is that it is in contact with several thousand Muslims every week, and thus among the biggest mosques in Denmark. Umm Abdullah tells Fatma that she must not go to birthday parties; there would be, she says, alcohol and mixed male and female company -- and she should only meet with Danish people in order to tell them about Islam. This is necessary, says Umm Abdullah, to save the Danes from hell, and the only reason why Muslims should interact with Danes. When Fatma asks her about her personal problems, Umm Abdullah tells her that she must not contact the police about the violent husband. "Why should you become a laughing stock in front of the infidels?" she rhetorically asks.

Fatma also went to see the imam at the Hamad Bin Khalifa mosque in Copenhagen, better known in Denmark as "Stormoskeen" ["the big mosque"]. Named after the former emir of Qatar and fully sponsored by him, it opened in 2014. The organization behind the Hamad Bin Khalifa mosque, the Danish Islamic Council, has claimed that the people who operate the mosque have chosen a moderate interpretation of Islam that is compatible with Danish society.

On camera, the spokesman from the Hamad Bin Khalifa mosque confidently assured the journalists from TV2 News that the mosque thoroughly respects Danish laws. He even assured them that women enjoy even better rights than men.

When Fatma spoke to the imam of the Hamad Bin Khalifa mosque, however, and filmed it with a hidden camera, she was given the same answers she had received in all the other mosques: She must not take a job without her husband's permission, and even if her husband continues to beat her, she must not contact the police. This most "moderate" of all the Danish mosques also advocated polygamy, and the right of the husband to his wife's body, even when she might prefer to refuse him.

One of the questions Danes are asking themselves after viewing the documentary, is whether Danish Muslims actually listen to the imams and do what they say. According to a poll conducted in October 2015, 40% of all Danish Muslims believe that the law in Denmark should be based solely on the words of the Quran and 77% believe that the Quran should be followed to the word. Ten years ago, the figure was 62%. The poll showed that 50% of all Danish Muslims pray five times a day; ten years ago, the figure was 37%.

While the working assumption has been that with time, Muslims would become less, not more, religious, these numbers fly in the face of the wish that Muslims might be comfortably assimilated into Danish culture.

At the end of the documentary, Fatma and Mohammed visit the sharia council -- which, since the documentary aired, has been dismantled, but others are believed to exist -- at the Fredens mosque in Aarhus. Here, Fatma pleads over ten times for a divorce from her violent husband, but the council refuses, telling her to go back home and try again.

These were exactly the same responses as those given by the imams of the British sharia councils in the BBC Panorama documentary from 2013. Genuinely abused women pleaded in vain for divorce, and sometimes had to wait for ten years to obtain it. The answers they received from the imam were identical with the answers that Fatma heard from the eight different imams in Denmark: Go back to your violent spouse and try to work it out.

TV2 presented the secret recordings to all the mosques that had been investigated, but the mosques refused to comment on them.

Instead, 31 Danish mosques and Islamic organizations decided to react to the exposure of their goings-on by collectively condemning the way that TV2 had portrayed the Islamic organizations in the documentary. The organizations held the TV station responsible for the "way that it was destroying the integration that the organizations had worked on for the past 30 years in Denmark" and claimed that "Danish Muslims are an integral part of Danish society and play a positive role in integrating Muslims into Danish society." They also reaffirmed that "Muslims have a right to seek advice about Islam, Islamic rules and Islamic sharia in Denmark."

The ongoing public debate that has followed the broadcast, shows -- unsurprisingly -- that neither politicians, opinion makers nor so-called "experts" have any workable plans for how to deal with what the TV documentary revealed. Some have suggested that imams get a special university education or go through a licensing process. Others have suggested closing the Grimhøj mosque -- an act that would doubtless be regarded as provocation, and one that would not solve anything in other, similar, mosques. Still other observers have suggested looking more closely at possibilities in the Danish constitution for dealing with the problem. One thing is clear: Denmark is as far away from solving this problem as the rest of Europe -- and it is not going to get any easier.

Comment on this item

22 Reader Comments

al • Mar 23, 2016 at 10:53

It would seem there to be a simple solution. If the imam is not Dutch expel him. All Korans should under-go revision to adapt to the 21st century values of western civilization. A government body should be set up to train indigenous imams and be monitored. Programs should be developed to educate Muslim women of their rights. Make the program compulsory. More importantly forget about political correctness, you are dealing with tribal and backward cultures.

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michael savell al • Mar 24, 2016 at 15:58

The West and its governments need to help the Christian churches in reselling Jesus Christ and his teachings. Only then can we possibly deny Sharia law sweeping through our nations. Muslims have been told that we need saving and have been told to go out and convert us from atheism and the actions our governments are taking, supposedly for our benefit but are, in fact, destroying Christianity itself. Muslims see this and are attacking the weak points.

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Mike Conlon al • Mar 24, 2016 at 20:48

Al,

First, I respect your interest in this subject, which I consider vital. Next, my "welcome" is to what you probably see, but in case you don't, please don't think I'm insulting you. Here it is: The Danes will not accept your good, sensible advice without a physical leadership change, or serious threat of change. They have the Danish variant of EU PC mental blanket over their minds.

It's as powerful as the mindset held at the start of the wars of reformation a few hundred years ago. We can look back and say "Hey, Guys, just relax and let people pray to Jesus any way they want. Pay more attention to good government." And if we could go back we could offer other similar easy, hindsight advice.

But those deeply held convictions took world-view shattering war after war, destruction of towns, villages and families and switching from religion to religion as new bosses took over. Then you had to conform to the new boss's religion. After all that "hard work," northern Europe got some religious tolerance and the clear beginning of wrenching religion from country administration.

Look at the PC mindset as being just as deeply held by many EU folks. Not just the elites; it's been in place there much longer and more deeply than in America. And you see how entrenched it is over here by looking at the Obama Admin.

What with consorting with both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood in the White House itself, and removing all mention of Islam from the FBI Terror Manual in Obama's first term. Also, his weirdly distorted view of Iran as a deserving regional power that we should give a chance to. I leave much out, but only mention him because we know he's smart, yet he's doing this stuff. His mind buys into an US version of PC, and like the Danes, it will not drift away if we patiently wait for sanity to prevail.

Job security for leadership due to outsider anti-immigration and anti-Muslim parties getting lots of votes, for instance. That's what moved the Swedes to start changing, and may start the Danes. But until a move from outside established leadership, the PC believing leaders will cry if it has to change, as a Swedish or German female politician did while announcing some pull back on the big "welcome, Muslims" plan that's been in place (that happened within the last few months, possibly as long ago as last year).

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MikeKu • Mar 22, 2016 at 22:52

The demographic invasion of Europe by Islam continues apace; certainly aggrandized by the recent refugee deluge from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. The results are becoming manifest as they "do not assimilate," as Mrs. Merkel has said. This presents a problem of historical dimensions. It is based on population growth or lack thereof and the case of Europe, Moslems will eventually overtake Europe's Christian population, thereby foisting its arcane desert philosophy on a once modern and cutting edge society. The backwardness of this religion, manifested in total anarchy in the Middle East and other Islamic based governments will become part and parcel of Europe and therefore the end of that society as we know it.

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Henry • Mar 22, 2016 at 20:04

Surprised? Not at all. Progressive degeneration of Europe, Denmark in particular, breeds this. By this you do understand what I mean. Western European so called "humanity" or, by other words IDIOCY leads to the suicide, which the brainwashed population actually deserves. "1984" by George Orwell perfectly describes the stupefied, brainwashed, "politically correct" population that can only be saved by brutes or right parties. This is why in US we have Trump. People are sick and tired of the "politically correct" brainwash and Trump is a symbol of rebellion although by himself he is nothing. As to Europe, they have no Trump and no chance to have one since the degenerating process has gone way to far. Hence viva Islam!

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Harvey • Mar 22, 2016 at 19:07

No surprises here at the result of this hidden filming. The only idiots who believe that Islam will integrate with Western values are the corrupt politicians who have allowed this lunacy of migration from these stone age dictatorships.

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BOMMELBEN • Mar 22, 2016 at 18:33

If you want to diminish the influence of the Islam you must start with the professional Muslims, most of them sufficient intelligent to know better than to really believe themselves that the Koran should be the word of Allah. There are more than enough reasons to declare those imams "persona non grata" or undesirable immigrants. The main reason of course is their propagation of unacceptable values: divine approval of plunder (only when it is from infidels), inequality between men and women, no freedom of choice about religion with the death penalty on apostasy, extreme intolerance towards other minorities like Jews and gays and dishonesty in their explanation of the Muslim ideology. A great advantage of this strategy is that it can be executed by using strictly human measures in accordance with our moral values: just send then back to where they (or their parents) came from. It will give some commotion, but much less than deporting millions as is deemed inevitable by Geert Wilders and he turned out to be right about most of his predictions.

It is clear that most Muslims will not be eager to admit that they have been fooled all their life, as it is apparently also very difficult for our political leaders to admit that Islam is not a religion and most certainly not a religion of peace. Just like an animal that has been used to its cage is reluctant to leave it when set free, so will the Muslims be when the opportunity presents itself to be free at last of the fetters of Islam. And of course nobody will hinder them to pray to Allah or God. But they will be free of the ridiculous and immoral rules set by Mohammed, which most of them did not know or obey in the first place. They will be grateful to be free at last and most certainly their and our children will be.

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Shane Sampson • Mar 22, 2016 at 17:09

We have been reading and hearing for longer than I can recall, "it's our responsibility to welcome these people into our countries and help them to integrate into our society. That they somehow deserve the same freedoms that we have, in spite of repeated examples of their absolute contempt for our beliefs, religious and cultural."

They DO NOT want what we have, they WILL NOT integrate into our culture and THEY WILL continue to abuse the freedom that our young men and women have fought and died for. Our leaders should be ashamed of their continued efforts to assimilate the very people whose greatest desire is to bring about the downfall of the societies that insist on giving them the freedoms to do so.

As we have unfortunately witnessed another horrible act of hatred and cowardice carried out this morning in Brussels, Belgium by the very people we are letting in when will our leaders realize that these people don't want to change. They have never lived in, or participated in a healthy, civilized society and don't want to start now. The imams know full well that allowing or encouraging integration would ultimately lead to their loss of power.

May our thoughts and prayers be for those whose loved ones were killed or maimed, by the hatred these cowards grow and encourage,in today's attacks on our freedom. And don't ever forget that we owe to every person killed or injured, by the cowardly terrorists, to stop short of nothing less than a complete and thorough victory over terrorism, a victory that is total and decisive.

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Ed in North Texas Shane Sampson • Mar 27, 2016 at 10:42

Or perhaps they do get it, but don't find the courage to fight it. European countries have been on a suicide mission with respect to their populations. European peoples have failed to have children at levels which would sustain their population levels. If Germans/Swedes/Danes et al refuse to procreate, preferring "Laissez les bons temps rouler!"**, then the Muslims have only to wait to complete the domination of Europe which stalled* at Tours/Poitiers in October 732 and Vienna in 1683. Muslim immigrants to European countries have far greater birth rates than native populations, they are conquering by childbirth, with a significant assist by admitting "refugees" who will bring their families and add to the growing population.

"They DO NOT want what we have..." is only correct in relation to freedom and assimilation. They want your countries, your homes and all the physical plant Europeans have built over the centuries (except they will convert the churches to mosques, as is the Muslim norm when they conquer a Christian country). And they don't want (a generic) you, unless you convert.

* Resurgent Islam has returned to the world domination plan put in abeyance with the failure to conquer Europe between 732 and 1683. This time they aren't relying on military domination, they have none as of yet.

** A common New Orleans, Louisiana phrase "Let the good times roll!"

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Vivienne Leijonhufvud • Mar 22, 2016 at 15:52

I am surprised at Denmark for not recognizing the threat that imams pose to the people of Denmark. This Islamic conspiracy has been around since 2011 and before. There are too many zealous imams out there being flown into Europe and funded by Wahhabi Saudi Islam. Virtually every mega mosque in Europe is financed by Saudi Arabia or in the case of Shia Iran. Though I have to to say I have observed it is primarily Wahhabi Islam that is importing terrorism and Jihad. The Saudis cannot be trusted at all.

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Bondsman • Mar 22, 2016 at 13:42

Stop allowing immigration, when caught in the act as these were ship the clerics out of the country for treason. Deal with it now or suffer later.

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SBH • Mar 22, 2016 at 13:08

That Denmark officials have nothing to offer but ineffectual nudges to Islam to assimilate -- at least "get along" with Danes -- is stunning evidence that the "officials" do not even begin to understand the scope of the problem. There is no assimilation between a constitution and sharia, as they are antithetical -- fundamentally opposed -- because there is no freedom in sharia. Islam is a works-based ideology which teaches that if one follows all of the rules and regulations of Allah (NOT the Biblical God) one will become pure. To be pure, one must associate only with Islam or be violated. Sharia is formed to become the community of purity -- leave the community and one is impure. Muslims must either convert or coerce unbelievers to believe in order to be able to continue associating with them or kill them, according to Muhammad; there is no other way. This is the ugly and bitter truth that no one seems to want to accept about Islam and Muslims.

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Peter Knapp • Mar 22, 2016 at 12:53

I wasn't at all surprised by the responses from the Imams in this Danish documentary. The Danes, like so many Europeans and now also Americans, wanted to show everyone how open minded they are toward other religions. What all of these open minded people did not consider is the fact that Muslims (the followers of Islam....the Quran, Sharia Law etc.) believe in an ideology that is incompatible with the constitution/laws of their country. Hence, they should not be allowed to immigrate to any of these countries.

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Lia • Mar 22, 2016 at 12:27

If sharia councils have not yet been declared illegal in all of Europe, the time for that is now.

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Michael P Woodman • Mar 22, 2016 at 12:13

No, it isn't going to get any easier. In fact, as each day passes demographic change ensures that it moves inexorably towards impossible.

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Barry C • Mar 22, 2016 at 11:47

Having just learned of the Brussels, Belgium attacks on innocent people and once again I am enraged the politicians in Europe and North America are "allowing" these radical Muslim ISIS barbarians to continue their killing and maiming of innocent people. The armed forces of Israel and North America knows where these scum bags hang out. To hell with the socialists, the political correct crowd and the left leaning press who insist we do not understand ISIS and the terrorists.

North America knows where large numbers of ISIS hide and congregate ...... it's pay back time and these vermin should be exterminated, this is war, make no mistake about it and we should act accordingly. If innocent people are injured or perhaps killed, then so be it as ISIS has no concern about anyone other than Muslims. Israel should be given full support to rid the world of Muslims like Abu Bilal. We know where they congregate ...... several well placed "larger" bombs would end their terrorist ways forever!

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James Mills • Mar 22, 2016 at 11:13

The authorities in Denmark and throughout Europe for that matter must ensure that these courts are brought under control by having J.P.'s or similar present at these courts and that records are taken and kept of the decisions in the same way that this would be done in existing secular courts. The decisions should also be available to the press for publication. The authorities I am sad to say are weak and will not do this until the people force them to do so.

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Pauline • Mar 22, 2016 at 10:52

I know what I am writing is not 'politically correct' but I'm too old to worry about pleasing the liberal left wing loonies and mysogynists that use the excuse of a vile ideology to beat and rape women. These women are deliberately isolated from Western society and culture and need to be free.The men that abuse them and rule them - I use the term men loosely as they are nothing but craven cowards who would run screaming from a frying pan aimed at their heads! They rape their wives - how brave of them! How proud they must be that the only way they can have their conjugal rights is by force. I feel gutted for these women and girls. I know women are abused in every society and religion but Islam is the only one that I know of that condones it and even gives instructions on it!

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Solomon Balas • Mar 22, 2016 at 10:34

Multiculturism sends a magic message to Muslims to start a Hijra, a jihad for conquest, in earnest. They are now on couse in full cry with no holds barred and no going back. If you read it this way, this is a holy war to the death for Allah. The West can't begin to understand, and its leaders though well advised, have no appetite for the action needed. Hell is in the West about to erupt. The late 1930's will repeat if leaders do not resort to forceful means to cut the cancer knawing at their very existance

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Norman Simon • Mar 22, 2016 at 10:23

Excellent, insightful article by Judith Bergman who continues to impress me with her logic and wisdom.

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bolt • Mar 22, 2016 at 09:44

As has been written by a number of commenters, Sharia is incompatible and irreconcilable with Western Civilization. What the imams advised in private counsel is accurate. Their lies are part and parcel of the Muslim ends through any means justification. Do what you can to learn about Islam and how application of Sharia in a jurisdiction bound by either the Common Law of the UK and Commonwealth nations or the Civil Law, which is generally applicable throughout Europe and countries around the world with Civil Codes.

If you want order, Sharia cannot apply even as an enclave in the West. Sharia is unconstitutional, pure and simple.

The duplicity of the imams is planed and intentional. If the Muslim immigrants of Denmark have become citizens whose oath of citizenship included allegiance to and compliance with the constitution and laws of Denmark, then the oath was fraudulent and the citizenship revocable.

We are at war with a totally incompatible belief structure. Best to awaken and recall Charles Martel at Tours/Poitiers of 732 and the period of Muslim Conquest that began in the 600s and almost took the West by Conquest. And let there be no mistake, when the Crusades (3) are criticized (by the misinformed) as a period of conquest and attack of Muslim land, do not forget that the original conquest was by the Muslim scimitar--viz the scimitar in many Muslim state flags and crests.

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tiki • Mar 22, 2016 at 07:03

Poor Europe! Drowning fast but still believing that by 'understanding & appeasing' it can save itself!

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